The village of Cau Kieu helps search for drowning victims.

In Quang Nam province, more than 15 households in Binh Hai commune, Thang Binh district, make a living by fishing with longline hooks. When someone drowns, they use the hooks to search for the body free of charge.

At the end of May, Mr. Ho Van Chuong, 67 years old, residing in An Tran village, Binh Hai commune, brought out 10 fishing hook holders to repair them. He sharpened each hook and neatly placed it into the bamboo holder.

The "cau kieu," also known as "cau vuong," involves dropping the hook into the water without bait. The hook is made of bent stainless steel, which does not rust when submerged in seawater. The fishing line is placed inside a bamboo tube and secured tightly, a process called a "cau kieu."

Each fishing line is 45 meters long, with a hook tied every 25 cm. A float is attached to the long line and, when lowered, will float 20-30 cm above the seabed. Fish swimming past the obstacle will turn around or flick their tails and get caught on the hook. This method primarily catches stingrays.

Mr. Ho Van Chuong has been working as a longline fisherman for nearly 40 years. Photo: Dac Thanh

The practice of fishing without bait was introduced to An Tran village in the mid-1980s. More than 45 households in the village now practice this trade, becoming a famous village in Quang Nam province known for its baitless fishing. "This profession has helped fishermen build houses and provide for their children's education," Mr. Chuong said.

In particular, the fishing village has also helped many families whose members have drowned. In nearly 40 years of practice, Mr. Chuong has cast his line three times to search for drowning victims at sea. The victims were relatives and strangers alike. They died while fishing near the shore.

He would carry each fishing line to determine the location and time the body sank, predicting the tide's rise and fall, and then cast the line. One end of the line was fixed to the shore, and then he and other fishermen would row out to the area where the body had sunk. Each 45-meter-long line had 110 hooks attached, which were lowered into a long line close to the seabed.

The retrieval process must be slow; if a body is found, the hook will get caught on the clothing. If the drowning victim is still submerged and hasn't drifted far, most bodies can be recovered using a longline fishing method. However, if the drowning occurred more than three days ago, the body will surface, making it less likely to be found, Mr. Chuong explained.

A fishing line is lowered into the sea by fishermen to catch fish. Photo: Dac Thanh

When a body is found, the owner of the fishing line informs the family but doesn't touch it. The fishing line used to retrieve the body is then discarded. Although he spent money buying the line, Mr. Chuong doesn't ask for anything in return. "It's not just me, but all the villagers do the same. We help to share the pain with the victim's family," he said, adding that each time he retrieves a body, he throws away about four fishing lines. Each fishing line costs 160,000 dong.

Located 200 meters from Mr. Chuong's house, Mr. Tran Van Binh has been fishing with longline for over 35 years, also producing fishing hooks. This profession has helped him support his two children through university and has assisted many people in finding the bodies of those who drowned.

Relatives of many victims still come to his house asking him to retrieve bodies. He gives them fishing rods and instructs them on how to use them without charging any money. Some families who found bodies later came to thank him. "They offered some money, but I didn't accept it. In their time of need, I'm willing to help in any way I can, without asking for anything in return," the 63-year-old fisherman said.

Mr. Binh lent his fishing rod to many people to take home and use in searching for drowning victims. Photo: Dac Thanh

According to Mr. Tran Van Nam, Secretary of An Tran village, previously there were 45 households practicing this profession in the village, but now only more than 15 households maintain the practice of longline fishing. Whenever a drowning incident occurs in Quang Nam, the government and border guard station mobilize fishermen to help.

"The practice of using fishing lines to retrieve bodies is very effective, especially in recent accidents. Fishermen invest their time and money hoping to find the bodies and share the grief with the victims' families," Mr. Tran said.

Dac Thanh

Source link: https://vnexpress.net/lang-cau-kieu-giup-tim-nguoi-duoi-nuoc-4611515.html